I just recently stumbled upon this great thread and every bit of free time I get find myself going through the many pages learning very helpful things. I take delivery of a new 3 series coupe (Le Mans Blue) late December or early January, I live in Connecticut where temperatures are pretty cold during this time. My question to you is if there is anything I should/need to do to protect my car through the winter that the dealer hasn't done? Is ONR the best product to maintain my car through the winter? I plan on buying more products and doing a full detail come spring time. Please also let me know if I'm going the right route on products.

Congrats on the new BMW! I'm happy to hear the thread has been so helpful, please also check out our Ask a Pro Blog and our detailing guide. I live in upstate NY so I can relate to the snowy and salty winter driving we have to endure. The BFWD should provide strong protection through these months.

Thank you for the purchase and I really like your plan going forward, I can tell you've done your homework. The only key parts I see missing is the backing plate, 2x White Pads and 1x Blue Pad (if you want to apply the Wet Diamond with the buffer).

I personally don't trust any dealer prep, they often make the paint look worse. I would suggest telling them you don't want it prepped, I even pulled the plastic off my own new car. The dealership I went to thought I was crazy but I was so happy to do this myself.

The ONR is what I use in the winter months primarily because it's too cold for a traditional wash. The Born To Be Mild could also be used it's just tough to use a hose afterwards to rinse it off. The ONR makes winter washing so much easier!

Here are my other new cart tips primarily for the interior since you already did a great job with the exterior. 303 Aerospace Protectant protects just about the whole interior (vinyl, plastic, rubber, leather). It blocks out UV rays and preserves the finish so apply it to the dashboard, doors, console, arm rests, exterior trim, rubber moldings, etc. etc. Protecting the carpets and mats is super easy just mist the 303 High Tech Fabric Guard on them and you are done! It will help repel moisture and the fabric will look exactly the same. It's such an easy step that many people skip over but trust me it's well worth it. The SONAX Leather Foam can be used on the leather as well to keep it clean, without any extra gloss or shine that is generally not good for the leather.

I love the new SONAX Wheel Cleaner Full Effect which is very strong yet pH neutral and totally safe to use. It helps clean the wheels quickly and effectively! To protect the wheels you can use the same sealant listed above or get something like the Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant. If you want the tires looking like new year round the TUF SHINE Tire Appearance Kit is an amazing product. It provides a semi-permanet coating that keeps the tires looking new, repelling moisture and contaminants while still good for the rubber.